How does time-on-task affect the achievement of early and late starters of Indonesian in schools?

2012 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
pp. 271-289 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelle Kohler
Keyword(s):  
Student Achievement ◽  
Secondary School ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Target Language ◽  
School Level ◽  
Time On Task ◽  
Written Responses ◽  
Late Start ◽  
Late Starters

In the Australian education context, there are typically two cohorts of language learners at the secondary school level, those who commence their study of the target language early in their primary schooling (early starters), and those who commence their study later, at the beginning of secondary school (late starters). The two groups may have undertaken their language study under quite different program conditions, in particular in relation to “time-on-task”i. There is little empirical evidence about the nature of student achievement in languages at the end of primary and in junior secondary and its relationship to time-on-task. This paper compares the achievements of a sample of early and late start students of Indonesian in Australia using score data gathered from common measures of achievement. In addition, a small sample of student written responses are analysed in order to highlight issues related to eliciting and describing student achievement that may not be evident from the quantitative data alone. The findings of the study reveal the nature of achievement by early and late starters of Indonesian in the SAALE study, as well as the complexity of investigating a single variable such as time-on-task in relation to student achievement. The paper concludes by recommending that assessment of student achievement in language learning take into consideration methodologies that may capture more holistically a constellation of variables that impact on students’ language learning.

Understanding the nature of performance

2012 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
pp. 312-338 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Scrimgeour
Keyword(s):  
Student Achievement ◽  
Second Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Chinese Language ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Test Procedures ◽  
Language Programs ◽  
The Impact ◽  
At Home

While Chinese language learning in Australian schools is characterised by predominantly second language programs for learners who have had no prior exposure to the target language, there is increasing participation by Australian-born children who speak Putonghua (Mandarin) or another dialect at home. Curriculum and assessment frameworks and syllabuses at senior secondary level have responded to the diversity in learner background through the provision of separate curricula and assessment schemes for different learner groups based on country of birth, prior educational experience and languages used at home. However the impact of learner background on learning and achievement as learners progress through Chinese language programs both in primary and secondary school remains under-researched. In particular, evidence of how the performance of second language learners differs from that of learners who a) speak the language at home and b) may have substantial community schooling experience beyond the school classroom, or c) were born and initially educated in Chinese, is very limited. This paper reports on the results of the Student Achievement in Asian Languages Education (SAALE) Project (Scarino et al., 2011; Scarino, this issue and Elder, Kim & Knoch, this issue) with regard to student achievement in Chinese. It focuses on the writing performance of Year 10 learners of Chinese and considers specifically the impact of language background by comparing performances between Australian-born students who do and do not speak Chinese at home. Scores assigned to students’ writing gathered on common test procedures confirms the expectation that background language learners perform at significantly higher levels and suggests that the two groups also differ in the nature of that performance. The implications of this data for the teaching, learning and assessment of Chinese in schools, and for the appropriate provision of programs for these different groups of learners is discussed.

scholarly journals Radio Drama Competition as an Effective Tool to Boost the Motivation and Self-Confidence of Primary and Secondary School English Learners in Hong Kong

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 154
Author(s):  
Kevin Kai-Wing Chan ◽  
William Ko Wai Tang
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
Secondary School ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Arts ◽  
English Learners ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Radio Drama ◽  
Self Confidence ◽  
Primary And Secondary School

In this report, we investigate the use of a radio drama competition to boost motivation, self-confidence, and cooperation in language learning for primary and secondary school students in Hong Kong. The results suggest the radio drama competition had a positive impact on increasing motivation, collaboration, and confidence in language learning.  For the study, we used online surveys and interviews with students and teachers who participated in the radio drama competition to examine their perceptions of the competition. We have included the surveys and interview results of two competitions in consecutive years, and both years’ results indicate students had positive views about their experience. Both students and teachers believed the competition enhanced collaboration and teamwork, confidence, and communication skills most.  This paper contributes to the literature by shedding light on the pedagogical implications of English teachers incorporating more radio drama and language arts into their classrooms to improve students’ language learning. Well-selected language arts materials could increase students’ language learning process as well as their motivation and self-confidence to learn the target language.

The Need for Ability Grouping in English Classes in Public Schools in the UAE

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christine Howling
Keyword(s):  
Public Schools ◽  
Secondary School ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
United Arab Emirates ◽  
English Language ◽  
School Level ◽  
English Classes ◽  
Policy Paper ◽  
Federal Institute ◽  
Foundation Program

"Lack of English proficiency among secondary school graduates is a significant issue in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as English is the medium of instruction in federal universities. Due to this, one-third of the UAE government’s university budget is spent on remedial courses that seek to develop the English-language skills of incoming university students (Salem & Swan, 2014). This policy paper examines research conducted in 2014-2015 on the English language learning experiences of female students enrolled in the remedial Foundation program at a federal institute in Ras Al Khaimah, UAE. The results of the study indicate that the UAE’s current class grouping policy at the secondary school level disadvantages lower-performing students and needs to be reexamined. This paper recommends that the current policy be revised to group students in English classes according to their English-language abilities."

An Analysis of Korean Heritage Learners’ Writing across Different Discourse Types

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 319-340
Author(s):  
Youngsoon So ◽  
Sung-Ock Sohn ◽  
Jieun Kim
Keyword(s):  
Target Language ◽  
School Level ◽  
Task Completion ◽  
Heritage Learners ◽  
Language Program ◽  
Written Responses ◽  
Dual Language Program ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Written Compositions ◽  
Error Types

This study analyzed compositions written by 74 primary school-level Korean heritage learners enrolled in a dual-language program to investigate whether and how their performance varied across four tasks requiring written responses in four distinct discourse types: narrative, letter, journal, and exposition. Quantitative and qualitative analyses of the compositions provided the following findings. First, students produced compositions of varying overall quality, indicated by significantly different holistic scores, across the four writing tasks. Second, in addition to the difference in the holistic scores, their compositions also differed in terms of aspects such as length, syntactic complexity, and successful task completion. Third, different combinations of textual features were found to be significant in explaining the overall quality of written compositions across the four writing tasks, with “cohesion” and “accuracy” being the only variables found to have a significant influence across all four tasks. Last, examination of error types suggested that both linguistic characteristics of the target language and specific aspects of the assessment tasks should be considered in explaining the frequent error types. These findings can inform efforts to address the unique linguistic profiles and educational needs of target student populations (i.e., heritage language learners) in writing instruction and assessment.

Affect trumps age: A person-in-context relational view of age and motivation in SLA

2016 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 311-345 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simone E Pfenninger ◽  
David Singleton
Keyword(s):  
Secondary School ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Quantitative Methods ◽  
Age Of Onset ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
School Level ◽  
Language Experience ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Late Starters

Recent findings (see, for example, Muñoz and Singleton, 2011) indicate that age of onset is not a strong determinant of instructed foreign language (FL) learners’ achievement and that age is intricately connected with social and psychological factors shaping the learner’s overall FL experience. The present study, accordingly, takes a participant-active approach by examining and comparing second language (L2) data, motivation questionnaire data, and language experience essays collected from a cohort of 200 Swiss learners of English as a foreign language (EFL) at the beginning and end of secondary school. These were used to analyse (1) whether in the long run early instructed FL learners in Switzerland outperform late instructed FL learners, and if so the extent to which motivation can explain this phenomenon, (2) the development of FL motivation and attitudes as students ascend the educational ladder, (3) the degree to which school-level variables affect age-related differences, and (4) learners’ beliefs about the age factor. We set out to combine large-scale quantitative methods (multilevel analyses) with individual-level qualitative data. While the results reveal clear differences with respect to rate of acquisition in favor of the late starters, whose motivation is more strongly goal- and future-focused at the first measurement, there is no main effect for starting age at the end of mandatory school time. Qualitative analyses of language experience essays offer insights into early and late starters’ L2 learning experience over the course of secondary school, capturing the multi-faceted complexity of the role played by starting age.

scholarly journals Explanatory Notes on the Problems of Equivalence in the Translation of Academic Certificates and Diplomas

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (11) ◽  
pp. 124-132
Author(s):  
Servais Martial Akpaca
Keyword(s):  
Secondary School ◽  
English Language ◽  
Target Language ◽  
School Level ◽  
Comparative Approach ◽  
Language And Culture ◽  
Secondary School Level ◽  
French Speaking ◽  
The One ◽  
The Impact

The aim of this paper is to discuss the impact of the multicultural dimension of English on the translation of academic diplomas issued at secondary school level in French-speaking countries. Translators have difficulty in finding the equivalents of the diplomas in English (the target language). The methodology of the paper is both descriptive and comparative. On the one hand, the polycentric nature of the English language is described and its implications for translation are underlined. On the other hand, a comparative approach is used in comparing the diplomas from both linguistic communities. The findings of the paper revealed that translating from the source language (French) into English is both a linguistic and, particularly, a cultural transaction. There are three circles of English in the world, making the search for equivalents particularly complex. Translation under these conditions needs to adopt a functional approach by taking into account the realities of the target language and culture.

scholarly journals Using Science Standards to guide the development of high school linguistics

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 5138
Author(s):  
Stephanie Joy Gamble Morse
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
Secondary School ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Advanced Placement ◽  
School Level ◽  
Science Standards ◽  
High School Level ◽  
Language Of Science ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Introductory Classes

As the linguistics community is pushing for more introductory classes to be taught at the high school level, it is useful to create a course framework. This framework can help provide structure for a potential Advanced Placement (AP) test and course as well as help interested teachers create successful proposals to add linguistics to their school’s course offerings. Rather than reinventing the wheel, I suggest that the existing Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) are an ideal starting point. Although not a science in the traditional secondary school sense, there is considerable overlap in methodology. Using the language of science can help those unfamiliar with linguistics see that it is the systematic study of language rather than just language learning, as well as help students transfer some of the skills and knowledge of practices that they already know from previous classes. This paper serves as an introduction to NGSS and the connections between the existing science standards and methodologies with the goal of demonstrating their usefulness for creating standards for linguistics.

Negotiation of Target Language Discourse in Foreign Language Learning

1999 ◽  
Vol 61 ◽  
pp. 75-83 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johannes Eckerth
Keyword(s):  
Secondary School ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
First Language ◽  
Foreign Language Learning ◽  
Learning Opportunities ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Language Class ◽  
Language Discourse ◽  
Language Classes

This study investigates discourse in foreign language classes where the focus is both on form and on meaning, i.e. discourse where students talkin and about the foreign language. Two clasroom activities are analysed. First, language-related questions posed by students in a German as a second language class, and second, text reproduction tasks in a German as a foreign language class at a Dutch secondary school. During these activities students construct and verbalise hypotheses about the structure of the foreign language. It is argued that recording these verbalisations supplies data which allow insights into ongoing learning processes concerning the interaction of the learners' internal L2-knowledge with the perceived L2-input. Both activities are discussed on acquisitional, methodological and didactic levels. It is concluded that they represent significant learning opportunities and that they should be further developed.

scholarly journals An Assessment Of The Availability Of Extensive Reading Resources In Public Primary Schools In Owerri Municipal, Imo State, Nigeria

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (6) ◽  
pp. 22-29
Author(s):  
RICHARD C. IHEJIRIKA ◽  
UGOMMA A. AGWUOCHA ◽  
CHIOMA N. IBE
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
State Government ◽  
School Environment ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
Target Language ◽  
School Level ◽  
Survey Method ◽  
Extensive Reading ◽  
Imo State ◽  
Reading Culture

Research findings have consistently pointed to the fact that there is a correlation between extensive reading and proficiency in the target language, especially in a second language situation.  Since reading is a process of habit formation, some linguistic scholars have argued that the primary school level is the most suitable for laying a strong foundation for the formation of extensive reading habits. Against this background, this study assessed the availability of extensive reading resources in public primary schools in Owerrri Municipal, Imo State, Nigeria. The objective was to assess the availability of extensive reading resources in the public primary schools to determine whether the school environment is conducive enough to enhance extensive reading culture. The Behaviourist Theory of language learning guided the research and the research design was a survey method. Out of a total of twenty-seven primary schools in the Municipal, fifteen were randomly selected and investigated. With the instrument of a questionnaire, data were collected from heads of the schools. The data were analysed, using frequency count and simple percentages. From the analyses, it was revealed that virtually all the schools investigated lacked adequate extensive reading resources. Consequently, it is concluded that the non-availability of the extensive reading resources in the schools investigated may be partly responsible for the seeming poor extensive reading culture which is noticed among some contemporary students. It is, therefore, recommended that efforts should be made by the Imo State Government and, by extension, other state governments to ensure that primary schools in their states are equipped with the necessary extensive reading resources in order to encourage the pupils to cultivate an extensive reading culture in the target language.

scholarly journals Brain Based Learning and Urdu EFL Learners' Academic Achievement in English at Secondary School Level in District Vehari

2020 ◽  
Vol V (II) ◽  
pp. 135-144
Author(s):  
Muhammad Qasim Ali ◽  
Najam Ul Kashif ◽  
Muhammad Asif Shahzad
Keyword(s):  
Academic Achievement ◽  
Secondary School ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Teaching Method ◽  
School Level ◽  
Traditional Teaching ◽  
Academic Needs ◽  
Secondary School Level ◽  
Post Test ◽  
Brain Based Learning

Current educational standards are changing dramatically to meet student's academic needs, and learners are at the heart of the educational system. The sole objective of the study is to compare the effect of brain-based learning teaching method and traditional teaching method on students' academic achievement in English at the secondary school level. For this study, the researcher has selected a convenient sample of sixty students enrolled in GBHS9-11/WB who took part in the experiment, and these were divided into two groups: one for control and another for experimental purposes through systematic random sampling. An academic achievement test was developed that served as both a pre-test and a post-test, and both were identical in content and administration. The study concluded that the BBL method is far superior to the traditional method of teaching for the subject of English. Native, foreign or second language learning is a social phenomenon, so brain-based learning teaching method provides socialization to the learner. Therefore, in contemporary forms of teaching, the BBL teaching method is far best for English as a subject.

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